Category Archives: Mitsubishi

Motoring, SUV, Electric/hybrid, Mitsubishi

Returning Outlander PHEV is a real gem, but pricey

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Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond PHEV

By Bill McCarthy

Mitsubishi’s UK departure left me scratching my head, especially given the success of the pioneering Outlander and its excellent L200 pick-up range. Poor sales and a global slowdown around the pandemic did for it – but now the Japanese giant is back with an impressive update.

Mitsubishi, famous for its rugged off-roaders, is certainly no stranger to innovation – it had one of the first all-electric cars on the road with the iMiEV city car and the original Outlander kickstarted Britain’s PHEV boom back in 2014, becoming a domestic bestseller.

Class-leading warranty

It’s worth pointing out early that Mitsubishi is backing its return with an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty, covering both the vehicle and its battery technology. It is a market-leading package and appears to send a clear statement that Mitsubishi is here to stay.

Same boxy silhouette, less slab-sided

With this latest version, the signature boxy shape is familiar but sleeker – still bold and rugged, with huge light clusters. It looks like a vehicle designed to feel substantial without being flashy.

The front now features a smart grille and bumper set-up, and the whole car uses LED lights, including T-shaped rear lights that make it easy to recognise at night.

What you get for the money

There are two models: the entry-level seven-seater Nativa, priced at £46,995, and the range-topping Diamond, driven here, which is five seats only at £49,995.

The Nativa is still an excellent, hugely practical seven-seater in basic form, with decent off-road capability and a towing capacity of up to 1,600kg.

This tested Diamond model is well named, with a diamond motif features and high-end diamond-pattern leather upholstery. The Diamond is a real premium choice.

It needs to be at approaching £50k. It is around £3,000 more than the entry model, at £49,995, but it ups the ante with ventilated and massaging seats, heated rears, three-zone climate, a full-length panoramic sunroof and a host of other extras.

The car’s brain is a central screen that controls smartphone connectivity, apps, navigation and an infotainment system that includes a high-end Yamaha 12-speaker sound system. It has a clever mixture of touchscreen and physical controls lacking in many SUVs, and everything feels substantial and well put together.

The Outlander is exclusively plug-in hybrid at the moment– a 2.4-litre PHEV system with twin electric motors and all-wheel drive. This produces a combined 302bhp, with a 22.7kWh battery allowing substantial electric-only running for daily commutes.

The official WLTP electric-only range is 53 miles. The petrol engine acts primarily as a generator for the battery, which supplies the dual motors. It kicks in to top up the battery or boost performance under harder acceleration – though at a cost to overall fuel economy.

The Outlander has a claimed total range of over 500 miles on a full tank and full charge, but in mixed driving which saw the petrol engine kick in quite a lot, I saw a maximum of around 35mpg. Not bad for something this size, but plug it in daily for maximum fuel economy.

Safety

Standard kit includes autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot intervention, lane departure prevention, rear cross traffic alert and a driver monitoring system.

Front cross traffic alert and a centre airbag are also part of the package.

Space and practicality

The deliberate seat sacrifice in the Diamond model allows for a storage capacity of 498 litres with the seats up. With all seats folded, capacity expands to 1,602 litres.

For convenience, there is a ‘kick’ facility to open the boot hands-free, and a 12V socket in the boot are thoughtful touches.

On the road

On the road, the Outlander is a pleasant place to be, offering, for the most part, silent running, with only the occasional sound of the dual motors. This I discovered on an extended journey around Shropshire and North Wales, with a rewarding driving experience.

The engine is vocal when it kicks in, though by no means overwhelming, and there is some road noise from the large alloys. However, the ride is smooth, even if the big beast does wallow a little on corners.

It’s not likely to be taken off-road very often, but the on-demand four-wheel-drive system allows extra grip in poor conditions, with a central dial allowing selection of systems to cope with anything from snow to mud and gravel.

Verdict

The Outlander is a sensible choice – genuine seven-seat practicality in basic form, a premium cabin and strong electric-only running in Diamond spec, all wrapped in a distinctive, rugged design.

Accept the five-seat trade-off and the Diamond delivers a genuinely luxurious PHEV for the money, backed by a warranty that few rivals can match. Don’t forget to plug it in!

Factfile

  • Model: Mitsubishi Outlander Diamond PHEV
  • Price: £49,995
  • Mechanical: 2.4-litre 302bhp petrol engine and 22.7kWh battery driving twin electric motors
  • 0 to 62mph: 7.9 sec
  • EV range: 53 miles (WLTP)
  • Total range: 500 miles plus
  • CO2 emissions: 20g/km
  • Insurance group: 47D
  • BiK rating: 10%
  • Warranty: 8 years / 100,000 miles inc battery
AWD, Manufacturer, Mitsubishi, Motors, MPV, Vehicle type

Another Outlandish success

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Mitsubishi Outlander

By Bill McCarthy

It’s an old saying, but remains true. If it ain’t broke, don’t mend it. Having said that, there is always room for improvement.

First launched in the UK in 2014 to stunning sales success, the plug-in hybrid version (PHEV) of the Outlander remains the best-selling plug-in vehicle in the UK.

While the costs of the hybrid or plug-in may be prohibitive to some, there is now an alternative. The new two litre petrol version, which still  has plenty to offer.

Updated this year, the range looks sleeker than ever, for a 4×4, with new grille, spoiler, bumpers, LED headlights and front and rear bumper.

There are two versions, the Design, driven here and the Exceed. Both offer seven seats and the ever-reliable switchable four wheel drive mode while there is a host of standard kit on this model, including auto lights and wipers, cruise control, eight-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, heated front seats, keyless entry and start, a rear-view camera and rear privacy glass.

It looks the part with its latest ‘Dynamic Shield’ front styling and sleek and stylish profile with LED headlamps, daytime running lights flanking a sleek radiator grille and front bumper and new 18-inch alloy wheels.

The interior too has a classy new look with a simple but easy to use dashboard and better quality fit and finish throughout.

 The dash is dominated by the touchscreen which  controls functions like infotainment and connectivity. As there is no sat nav, there is also the option of plugging in your smartphone to display Google maps on the screen.

You can also use Siri or the touch screen to get directions optimised for traffic conditions, make and receive calls, access text messages and listen to music. 

 An electronic handbrake is positioned on the centre console along with the 4WD mode selector and switches for the heated front seats.

The interior is light and spacious with plenty of space for five with slightly less room for the rearmost two seats and a large boot area of 781 litres with those seats folded away. This opens up to a cavernous 1,608 litres, with the middle row folded and there are plenty of other pockets, cubbyholes and throughout

Also new for the 2020 model is the addition of a Red Diamond paint option, a semi-transparent coating incorporating mica flakes, to give an even more upmarket finish.

On the road the 150ps petrol engine has to work hard to pull the big seven seater. Mated to a CVT transmission it hits the 60mph mark in fairly pedestrian 13.3 seconds.

But that should be plenty for most people who drive this kind of car and while it cannot match the electric power of its siblings for economy, mpg is pretty respectable, although CO2 emissions remain high.

The system comprises three driving modes, ‘4WD Eco’, ‘4WD Auto’ and ‘4WD Lock’.

Most of the time ‘4WD Eco’ mode powers the car through the two front wheels, but when road conditions demand it, the system intelligently transmits the driving force to the rear wheels as well for better economy. Go off road and select 4WDAuto, for better traction and for more serious off-roading, the 4WD Lock high traction mode can be locked in for tougher terrains.

On the road, the ride and handling are more than acceptable for the size of car, will little evidence of wallowing on corners. It is a quiet cruiser and while the 150PS engine may struggle with a full complement of occupants, cruising on the motorway is not problematic and a quiet and comfortable experience.

As you would expect with a near £30k vehicle, it is packed with safety kit including larger front brake discs,  seven airbags, including driver’s side knee airbag, traction and stability control, hill start, brake assist and emergency stop signal,  to earn a five-star NCAP safety rating.

Not as super efficient as the PHEV, it is substantially cheaper, offers the same practicality and looks better than ever.

Factfile

Mitsubishi Outlander Design 2.0 litre

Price: £29,410

Mechanical: 150PS, 1998cc, four cylinder petrol engine and electric motors driving all wheels via CVT auto gearbox

Max speed: 118mph

0-60mph: 13.3 seconds

Combined mpg: 32.5 (WLTP)

Insurance group: 21E

CO2 emissions: 196 g/km

Warranty: 5yrs/62,000 miles